Liquids and surgery

Hello everyone!  Long time, no see!  I have been preparing for surgery and fighting technology, but now I am back!  So, December 13th started my two week pre op diet.  Over the course of that, I lost 14.8 pounds.  It was tough and I did have bites of some food but nothing drastic.  On the day before surgery, I had to go get Mag Citrate to clear me out.  I chose the grape flavor and I don't think the flavor would have mattered because THIS STUFF.....UGH.  It was like salty water mixed with sugar and man it was tough to get all 10oz down, but I did it.  I showed up to to the wrong entrance at the hospital and had to hurry over to the correct place; we showed up at 6:04am.  They took me back immediately to bed 2.  They took my vitals and weight, I had to give a urine sample to ensure I wasn't pregnant, and then I changed into the hospital gown.  They put feet things on me that pumped blood to help prevent blood clots as well as gave me a shot in the belly to prevent blood clots.  They also gave me the dreaded IV in my left hand but it really wasn't that bad.  All morning I had been hitting the top of my hands, jogging in place, and blowing hot air on my hands to make sure my veins took out for the stick; it worked.  Dad, Blair, and I waited for about 45 minutes in the pre op area.  The anesthesiologist came to talk to me about my health, the doctor stopped in to say hi, the lady who would update my family came and introduced herself, and a girl I know from my home town came to wish me luck.  The nurse came and put a cap on me and then they wheeled me back.  I cried a little, which I have always done when having to tell my family goodbye.  I went into the surgery room and was put on the bed with the big lights shining above me.  There  were a lot of people back there moving around, sticking things on me, talking to me, and then came the mask with the oxygen.  They asked me to breathe deeply with the oxygen and then they pumped some stuff into my IV that I could feel and they put the mask tight on my mouth and told me to breathe and out I went.  Next thing I know, I am waking up yelling about the pain in my stomach.  I didn't want to open my eyes because I didn't want to be sick but I kept saying "I need something for my stomach, it feels like a really bad cramp" "HELLO". "I NEED SOMETHING" and I remember them telling me that they had given me two doses of Morphine, some Tylenol, and some other medication and they couldn't give me anymore because my blood pressure was low.  They stuck something behind my ear so I wouldn't get sick and then I faded out again.  Next thing I hear is that I am being taken to my room and that Blair and my dad would be up there with me.  I still didn't open my eyes.  Once they left me alone and I was in the room, I tried to slowly open my eyes and I saw dad and Blair and I tried to say a few things but I was SOOO tired.  I am still SOOO tired and I am usually not a tired person.  After about 2 hours I was like I need to get up, I need to walk, I need to use the restroom, and the nurse was like you might be in excruciating pain and I said don't say that to me, I need to be brave and get up and get going so don't scare me like that.  She did it to me twice but I still got up and did what I needed and I was in no pain.  I was so worried about gas pain and pain in general and I had none!  I did have a morphine button I could push every 12 minutes but I hardly ever hit it.  I would hit it when I would get up to walk and that's about it.  It is important that you pee after surgery and walk and sit up and use the device where you breath in slowly to keep your lungs open so you don't get pneumonia, but I had to ask for all of that.  Another weird thing is, I went to all of these Dr. appointments and asked him questions about medications and how to be preventative and his answer was "I am not going to give you something that you don't have problems with" and I said fine ok.  Well in the hospital, they tried to give me EVERYTHING, ordered by him.  First, the nurse comes in and says she needs to do an insulin pump consult and I was like I don't have diabetes so then she left.  Next, the respiratory guy showed up and said he was there to give me a breathing treatment and I said no to that.  I was like so even though I can breathe just fine, you are going to blow that in my face?  He kind of laughed and said I didn't have to do it, so I said no way, and he left.  They came back 3 different times to just make sure and I declined all of them.  The nurse came in with this shot and that shot and I was like WHAT THE HECK!  I talked to him about these and he said no.  Their only response was "well we just give this to all the patients" and I said ok great but that doesn't make sense because we are all different and if we don't need things, we shouldn't be given them just so the money adds up.  Moral of the story, you are your own person, you are not like all other patients, so only take what you need and you can say no to whatever you want.  They said they were so amazed with how much I was up and walking and just on the go but I hated just sitting so I walked and walked.  I stayed over night and woke up every 2 hours, they came in and took labs, I walked more, and then at 6:30 I went to do the swallow test where they check to see if there are any leaks.  I had to stand in front of this scanner and drink a thick clear liquid and they told me to just keep drinking and drinking.  The doctor checked the scans and then reported to me everything looked good.  Next, getting the liquids.  I called the cafeteria and ordered chicken broth and jello.  The nurse got me water and they also brought me a prosource for protein.  I drank about 4oz of water, 1 oz of broth, a few bites of jello, and a little over half of an ounce of the protein.  I showered, walked more, and then the doctor came in and gave me the prescription for at home pain management and told me I could be discharged.  My middle band aid kept coming off so the nurse had to change it two different times.  My dressing on my stomach should be left alone until I go back next week to get stitches out.  The nurses weren't really on top of it, they didn't show up often, they didn't check my vitals, they didn't make sure I was comfortable, so THANK GOODNESS for my personal nurse Blair, because she was always taking care of me.  She also made sure the doctor got a picture of my stomach like I wanted; she just killed it!  After I was discharged, dad picked me up and we went to get my medication and then I got to there house and slept.  When I get cold I like to sit on the stool in the shower and have hot water run down on me.  Otherwise, its a real job getting in the water/protein every 15 minutes cuz I have no appetite!  I think that is about it......this whole thing has surpassed all of my expectations and I was scared for no reason.  All I have had is soreness in my belly and I know that won't last forever and I will be back to to normal in no time!